Edward roberts



E. ROBERTS.

TIME CHECK.

lime/z W3 UNITED STATEEATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD ROBERTS, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO CODE, HOPPER & GRATZ, OF SAME PLACE.

TIME-TELLTALE.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 31,853, dated March 26, 1861.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD Ronnnrs, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented a Sentinels TimeOheck; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

My invention relates to improvements fully described hereafter in that class of time checks or time registers in which is used a detachable graduated disk connected with and operated by the works of a clock or other time keeper.

The object of my improvement has been to produce a simple and eflicacious instrument for checking or proving the alertness or re missness of a sentinel or watchman whose duty it is to mark the above mentioned graduated disk at stated intervals during his hours of duty, so that it may serve as a permanent record of his attention or inattention.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention I will now proceed to describe its construction and operation.

On reference to the accompanying drawing which forms a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a face view of my improvement as applied to an ordinary eight day clock the door of the case being open. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of part of Fig. 1, Fig. 3 a view of the inside of the door as furnished with a marking device, Fig. 4: a vertical section on the line 1 2 Fig. 3, Fig. 5 an inside view of the door as furnished with a modified marking device, Fig. 6 a vertical section on the line 3 4 Fig. 5 and Figs. 7 and S detached portions of the marking device shown in Figs. 5 and 6. Figs. 1 and 2 represent the full size of the clock, Figs. 3, at, 5 and G are drawn to a scale of one half of the full size, and Figs. 7 and 8 are drawn to a scale of double the actual size.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

A represents the octangular case of an ordinary eight day clock having the usual works.

B is the door hinged to the case of the clock and consisting of a plain circular plate having two openings a and Z2 which will be especially referred to hereafter, and a third opening 0 through which when the door is closed a staple (Z on the case A passes, the said staple being of a proper form to receive a suitable padlock, or the door may be furnished with any other appropriate locking apparatus.

O represents that spindle of the clock to which the hour hand is usually attached, this spindle passing through and being secured to a plate D (Fig. 2:) and being screwed on the end for the reception of a nut E between which and the plate D intervenes 2 disk or plate F of paste board or other suitable material, this disk consequently making one complete revolution in twelve hours. The disk may he graduated and numbered near the edge in the same manner as the dial of an ordinary clock, in the present instance however it has marks representing the hours, and between these are intermediate marks representing the quarters of an hour. The opening a in the door is so situated and is of such a form and extent that when the door is closed several of the marks on the disk are visible from the exterior, and the opening or slot 7) is so situated (supposing the door to be still closed) that the sentinel or watchman can. by inserting the point of a pencil from the outside of the door into the slot, mark the disk on the space within the graduated edge of the same a radial line as shown in Fig. l.

The key of the lock by means of which the door secured is in the possession of the proper otticer or stu'ierinteiulent of the building in which the instrument is situated the lock being beyond the control of the sentinel whose instructions are to make or mark on the disk at stated intervals, say every half hour. Prior to the sentinel coming on duty the other opens the door of the clock unscrews the nut E removes the disk, which had been previously marked. from the spindle C and replaces it with an unmarked disk, taking care that at whatever hour the disk is attached the latter shall occupy such a position in respect to the pointed projection a; of the opening 1/ that the line on the disk representing the hour shall coincide with the said projection.

Now supposing the duties of the sentinel or watclnnan have to commence at eight oclock in the evening and to terminate at 6 oclock in the morning and as before remarked that he has been instructed to mark the disk once half an hour. If the sentinel commenced his rounds at the proper hour the mark 1 would be made on the disk at the point indicated in Fig. 1, that is to say the mark would coincide with the line VIII on the graduated disk, and if he continued to attend to his duties properly he would make the marks 2 3. 4. 5. 6 &c. at the points indicated.

It will be observed that the opening a in the door is of such a width that one at least of the figures and a number of the adjacent marks on the graduated portion of the disk are visible at all times from the exterior of the clock, and that the sentinel can at all times ascertain the proper time for marking the disk by watching when the hour and half hour lines on the graduated portion of the disk coincide with the pointed projection 00.

hen the officer or superintendent arrives in the morning he unlocks the'door and removes the disk and if he finds that the latter has been marked from a point opposite the figure 8 to a point opposite the figure 6 at the proper intervals he is made aware of the fact that during his absence the sentinel has been on the alert and has punctually performed his duties from 8 oclock in the evening to six oclock in the morning. Should the sentinel have been asleep or absent during the night the exact time during which he was off duty will be indicated by the absence of the proper marks or by their irregularity, it will be seen therefore that this instrument affords a certain check or proof of due attention or any want of attention on the part of the sentinel or watchman, the disk bearing on its face a permanent record of any absence and the time when such absence took place.

In some instances it may be necessary to place the instrument in such a position as to be beyond immediate access, in such cases I attach to the door the device represented in Figs. 3 and 4.

G is a rod arranged to slide vertically in staples f 7 attached to the door B, a coiled spring h surrounding the rod and tending to maintain the same in an elevated position. Near the top of this rod is a tube or sleeve 2' in which is fitted a sharpened pencil j the latter passing through a vertical slot in the door and bearing with its point against the disk F. The whole is inclosed in a case H hinged to the door D and shown in Fig.3 as being folded back. A cord or wire is attached to the lower end of the rod and extends to a point accessible by the sentinel who pulls the wire at proper inter vals thus drawing down the rod and making the required marks on the detachable disk the spring serving to raise the rod after it has been thus depressed.

When it is found inconvenient to apply a new disk to the instrument every day the device illustrated in Figs. 5. 6. 7 and 8 may be used.

I is a vertical lever hung at to the door B the back of this lever being furnished with a spring 3/ which bears against a hinged case H inclosing the lever, and tends to maintain the latter inv the position shown in Fig. 6. The upper end of this lever has a vertical slot m seen in Figs. 7 and 8 and through this passes a screwed pin K pointed at the end and secured by a nut n the head of this pin being provided with a projection arranged to fit into any one of the Vertical row of orifices in the lever (see Fig. 8). The pin is in the first instance so adjusted to the lever that its projection shall fit into the highest orifice of the row, and if the lower end of the lever has been pulled outward by the sentinel at intervals throughout his hours of duty a circular row of indentations made by the pin will be found on the disk, these indentations occupying their proper position in respect to the marks on the graduated portion of the disk, that is, providing the sentinel has been attending to his duties properly. Before he commences his next nights duty the pin is so adjusted that its projection on the head will fit into the hole next below that in which it was previously inserted so that another circular row of indentations, within the first, will be made on the disk, and this adjustment from hole to hole may be continued from day to day so as to form any desired number of circular rows of indentations in the disk each row indicating one nights alertness or inattention on the part of the sentinel. There may be six holes in the lever, for instance, the pin being adjusted to the highest hole on Monday the next on Tuesday, and so on, so that when the disk is removed after the sixth night the outer circular row of indentations will point out the attention or inattention of the sentinel on Monday night the next row his punctuality or want of punctuality on Tuesday night and so on. If, during any half hour of any night of the six the sentinel has been asleep or off duty, not only the night but the exact time of the night when the neglect took place is discovered by examining the several rows of indentations.

I wish it to be understood that I do not claim broadly a detachable graduated disk applied to a clock or time keeper and in closed within the case of the same, such a device being shown in the English patent No. 957 of 1852: but

I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. The detachable graduated disk F, applied to the works of the clock, substantially as herein set forth, in combination with the lid B, its openings 6 and a, and the pointer w, or its equivalent when the said openings, In testimony whereof, I have signed my and pointer are arranged in respect to each name to this specification, in the presence of 10 other and to the disk as and for the purpose two subscribing witnesses. herein described. T J u r s 2. The spring lever I, with its adjustable ALD ROBLRLS' pin K, in combination with the detachable itnesses: graduated disk, and the lid B, and its open- HEXRY Howsox ings Z) and a. L. Y. VALRAVEN. 

